God has given me a passion for truth and a desire to pursue
what is right.
Psalm 139 talks about how God goes before us on the path and
brings light to the darkness in front of us and calls back to us saying, “It’s
okay; the coast is clear! Come on ahead!”
And even while He is walking ahead of us lighting the way,
He is walking next to us maintaining the light. He desires to bring darkness to
light. And this has compelled me to bring darkness to light as well.
My eyes have recently been opened to the world of
pornography. I really didn’t know it was much of a thing before a year ago. But
it is a thing, and it’s everywhere, and it’s darkness, and it’s hurtful.
And I don’t want people to live in darkness. There is so
much happening in the light, and I want everyone to be a part of it. I want to
call pornography out of darkness, bringing it to light, so that it loses its power
in Jesus’ name.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2.
Prior to this week, I thought I was better than every person who struggles with pornography. I thought I sinned less; I thought I deserved more.
But God has shown me otherwise. There is some very real sin in my own life and the Lord placed three friends and three specific conversations in my week for the purpose of bringing these unconfessed sins to my attention. I too have sin in the dark corners of my life, and I desire to keep them in dark corners.
In my hypocrisy, I think I can stand in front of people and talk about the sin of pornography and talk about bringing darkness to light, all the while keeping parts of myself in darkness.
Yesterday, in great sorrow, I apologized to the Lord. And then He called me to go a step further:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16a.
Last night I sat on the floor of my room and spoke my sins out loud and confessed them to my roommates. I showed them an ugly side of me and it was scary and uncomfortable. My sin is coming to light. And after our conversation we danced around the room because the sin is no more, and I am free to dance and sing and laugh in Him.
Jesus came so that we would not have to carry the weight of sin in the dark corners of our heart. He came so that we could be free. He came so that we could live in the light.
And my heart asks in bewilderment, "What love is this?" This love so great that He would take my sin and allow me to stand before Him. It is a love unlike any other. And it humbles me and causes me to worship and begs me to share it with others and compels me to bring light to the darkness.
So join me, friends, let's talk about sin more. Let's call it out of darkness and bring it to light. Let's create environments of love so that honesty and vulnerability can be a part of our conversations. Press into the discomfort. There is freedom on the other side.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2.
Prior to this week, I thought I was better than every person who struggles with pornography. I thought I sinned less; I thought I deserved more.
But God has shown me otherwise. There is some very real sin in my own life and the Lord placed three friends and three specific conversations in my week for the purpose of bringing these unconfessed sins to my attention. I too have sin in the dark corners of my life, and I desire to keep them in dark corners.
In my hypocrisy, I think I can stand in front of people and talk about the sin of pornography and talk about bringing darkness to light, all the while keeping parts of myself in darkness.
Yesterday, in great sorrow, I apologized to the Lord. And then He called me to go a step further:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16a.
Last night I sat on the floor of my room and spoke my sins out loud and confessed them to my roommates. I showed them an ugly side of me and it was scary and uncomfortable. My sin is coming to light. And after our conversation we danced around the room because the sin is no more, and I am free to dance and sing and laugh in Him.
Jesus came so that we would not have to carry the weight of sin in the dark corners of our heart. He came so that we could be free. He came so that we could live in the light.
And my heart asks in bewilderment, "What love is this?" This love so great that He would take my sin and allow me to stand before Him. It is a love unlike any other. And it humbles me and causes me to worship and begs me to share it with others and compels me to bring light to the darkness.
So join me, friends, let's talk about sin more. Let's call it out of darkness and bring it to light. Let's create environments of love so that honesty and vulnerability can be a part of our conversations. Press into the discomfort. There is freedom on the other side.
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